The MLB Winter Meetings might be over, but the offseason is just getting going for the Philadelphia Phillies, who had themselves a wildly successful week in Orlando. While the front office made some minor moves along the way, the big offseason-altering move was obviously re-signing free agent designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.
On top of signing Schwarber to the massive five-year, $150 million deal on Tuesday morning, the Phillies also officially extended manager Rob Thomson for an extra year, through 2027. They also snagged a possible bullpen piece in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday by selecting right-hander Zach McCambley, although they also lost Griff McGarry to the Washington Nationals.
The Phillies' Winter Meetings showing was made all the better by how poorly the New York Mets fared. With the NL East rivals missing out on Schwarber and losing Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso on consecutive days, it seems like a horrific time to be a Mets fan. Oh well, too bad.
Anyway, back to the Phillies and what they need to get done now that the Winter Meetings have wrapped up and the rest of the offseason looms.
Here are 4 moves the Phillies should make after winning the Winter Meetings
1. Re-sign J.T. Realmuto
Re-signing catcher J.T. Realmuto has to be at the top of the priority list, and it sounds like it is for the Phillies and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. As MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reported this week, the Phillies have an offer on the table. They're just waiting for a decision from Realmuto's camp.
Even though Realmuto just posted his worst offensive season as a Phillie, losing him would create a whole new set of problems. He's almost impossible to replace. There's no one on the free agent market that comes close and any trade for a younger catcher will come at a cost.
2. Sign Tatsuya Imai
This might be a stretch, considering that the Phillies' payroll next season is expected to look very similar to 2025. However, if the Phillies are as serious about getting a piece of the action from Japan, signing right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who has been posted from the NPB, is the perfect way to do that.
The 27-year-old Japanese star has pitched for the Seibu Lions for eight seasons, with a 2.18 ERA since 2022. In 2025, he made 24 starts, going 10-5 with five complete games, a 1.92 ERA with 178 strikeouts in 163 2/3 innings. As a bonus, Imai has said publicly that he doesn't want to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers and seems to have the temperament and mentality to move to the East Coast.
Remember, the Phillies were willing to pay Yoshinobu Yamamoto a small fortune a couple of offseasons ago before he took less to go to the Dodgers. So there's some precedent for Dombrowski to convince managing partner John Middleton to open the bank vault a little more for the right player. The Phillies will have until the end of his posting on Jan. 2 to make this happen.
3. Re-sign Harrison Bader
Unfortunately, re-signing Schwarber and (hopefully) Realmuto puts the Phillies out of the running for a top free agent outfielder like Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger. It might also put them out of the conversation for Harrison Bader.
If we're talking about paying a bit more for a player you really want, however, Bader might be that guy for the Phillies. They know him, they like him, and they've already said they'd like to have him back after his brief yet impressive stint down the stretch this season.
Securing center field will help immensely in placing some other puzzle pieces. It would allow top prospect Justin Crawford to start out in a less demanding role in left field. This will really depend on where Bader's free agent market goes from here. If he's looking for three years, it still might be too much for Dombrowski to accept.
4. Trade (or do something with) Nick Castellanos
Moving on from Nick Castellanos will happen eventually. It doesn't sound like anything is imminent, although you never know in the offseason.
The Phillies are trying to trade the right fielder but have come up empty in that endeavor. The consensus seems to be that if they're forced into it, they'll release him and eat the entirety of his remaining $20 million salary.
Castellanos, who will turn 34 before Opening Day, also said recently that he's willing to play first base. Remember he came up as an infielder and was seen taking reps at first near the end of the season. Perhaps that will help his trade value, since he graded as one of the worst defensive outfielders in MLB this season.